Diverging Paths: Kira, Commander for ZAFT
by AotA
Summary: Now Kira, after several years of loyal service in ZAFT, reaches the rank of commander, the highest possible rank achievable in ZAFT. At his promotion ceremony, the PLANT Councilor reveals to the PLANTS just who and where their most loyal pilot came from.


Diverging Paths: Kira, Commander for ZAFT

Strawberry Seraph

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed! It belongs to its rightful owner! I am not seeking any sort of earnings from this writing!

(No fringe benefits either.)

Summary: What if Athrun had said something slightly different when he confronted Kira when Kira was sending Lacus over to him? What if, to protect his friends, Kira left the Archangel and put himself in the hands of ZAFT, expecting little mercy and an uncertain fate?

Now Kira, after several years of loyal service in ZAFT, reaches the rank of commander, the highest possible rank achievable in ZAFT. At his promotion ceremony, the PLANT Councilor reveals to the PLANTS just who and where their most loyal pilot came from.

Diverging Paths: The One Less Traveled By

Kira Yamato stood at attention with the ranks of other ZAFT soldiers, back straight staring directly ahead.

The Councilor walked to stand behind the podium and placed his hands upon it, "Hear me all citizens of the PLANTS. I stand before you bearing both wonderful and terrible news."

"As all of you already know, several years ago, a select team of ZAFT soldiers were sent to either collect or destroy several mobile suits foolishly developed by the Naturals. In that mission, several of out brave soldiers lost their lives, but we also gained all but one of those targeted mobile suits. Unfortunately, the colony of Heliopolis was destroyed in the fighting between the Naturals and ourselves. I, myself, feel sorrow for the loss lives of the innocents who were not part of the _supposedly_ neutral government of Orb's plot with Earth Alliance."

"One of our warships, the Vesalius tirelessly pursued the ship that had taken the last remaining mobile suit in an effort to complete their mission."

"On that Earth Alliance ship however, was the very same person who had piloted the mobile suit with only the thought to protect his friends from the threat of death. That person was, and is, a Coordinator and former citizen of Heliopolis, who cared nothing for the usual boundaries between Coordinators and Naturals. It was this same force of character and moral that, when the Naturals took our very own Lacus Cline hostage after _supposedly_ rescuing her, made him feel that the Naturals' own actions were repugnant and repudiated their actions."

"He returned her to us and to further protect those same friends, turned both himself, and the mobile suit over to the Vesalius in return for their safety."

"Honoring his request, the Earth Alliance ship was allowed to go free, being little threat to the PLANTS once divested of this last mobile suit. The pilot of the mobile suit had been happy to turn over his suit to his _true_ people, and not be forced to fight in a war in which he had no interest, now that his friends were no longer in danger."

"Unfortunately for him, his respite was not to last and not long after the Earth Alliance vessel had retreated, it returned and attempted to destroy the Vesalius, caring little for their former tool."

"The Vesalius was put in a difficult situation. It was running low on munitions, depleted of regular mobile suits, and the Alliance ship had weapons in excess, having been resupplied by a nearby Alliance base."

"In this, the Heliopolis Coordinator stepped up to the plate once again once it was realized that there were not enough pilots skilled enough to handle the prototype mobile suits when it was found that they would need every single body out there to prevent the destruction of the Vesalius. He volunteered to protect the Vesalius. He stated that even despite the fact he would not attack his friends but he would, he _would_ defend against them."

"After that, he assisted the Vesalius in various ways as it limped home to the protective reach of the PLANTS after escaping the pitched battle with the Alliance ship."

"Upon arriving at a PLANT however, we had no idea of how to handle a situation like this. He had assisted the Alliance, was he an enemy? He had been forced to protect them, was he an ally? He held no wish to fight, was he nonaligned?"

"Those were the questions that our people were asking when he arrived and it was a long time before those questions were answered to our satisfaction."

"The truth is that he is loyal to those he cares about. An old friend of his, the son of someone you all may recognize the name of, one Athrun Zala, was on the Vesalius and took part in the mission to retrieve the mobile suits for the security of the PLANTS."

"It was young Mr. Zala who let our wayward fellow Coordinator come home to his people while at the same time not betray what he had held with his Natural friends of Heliopolis."

"In the time since he has joined us, Kira Yamato is to become Commander of ZAFT due to his exceptional intelligence, cleverness, and unwavering loyalty to the defense of the PLANTS and it is to his promotion that we are here to witness."

"Mr. Yamato's face is one that you will likely be seeing a lot so I thought that it would only be appropriate to tell you his story as he reaches the peak of the ZAFT ranks."

"Now. Let us welcome him and give him a warm reception to his new office."

Kira stepped forward, and knew that the other Coordinators were startled by his rather unassuming appearance, especially in comparison to the usual aesthetics ascribed to their kind, with various exotic hair and eye colors. His subdued, blue-purple eyes not much more eye catching than his mundane brunet hair.

He bowed to the Councilor who pinned the medal on his dress uniform before he turned to the mesmerized audience in room, fought down his nervousness, and took breath to speak.

- - - - -

Okay… Um… Sorry about the long wait but I had major computer issues (I had to reformat the entire stupid thing and lost everything, and I do mean _everything_) and that was on top of school insanity, missing passwords, papers, and tests, tests, tests, tests…

Anyways, I know that it's a horrible excuse but I have an overflowing course load and _then_ some, so I have to ask for forgiveness from everyone, especially crazylikeanko for being such a deadbeat and ditching you all like that.

And on the subject of DP:K… I honestly don't know, I didn't really think that I _would_ continue the story but here is some more. Weird, I know.

Still.

Don't expect more on this. Really. It was just an odd thought that actually became something so don't get any hopes up about seeing more. (Though that's not to say there _won't_ be, it's just very, _very_ unlikely.)


End file.
